Alex Jones did not let Pers Morgan get a word in edgewise. Regardless, Jones made some valid points. Good to see he made it to a mainstream show. But it seems he made it because of his work on acquiring 100,000 signatures for petition to deport him. A bit of exposure which Pers had no choice but to face head on.

CNN host Piers Morgan just called to discuss his interview last night with Alex Jones, the conservative radio host and gun advocate who went on a tirade against Morgan, gun control legislation, and a litany of government conspiracies.

"He was the best advertisement for gun control you could wish for," Morgan told POLITICO.

"That kind of vitriol, hatred, and zealotry is really quite scary. I didn't feel threatened by him, but I'm concerned that someone like him has that level of influence," Morgan said. "There's got to be a level of discourse that can rise above what happened last night. It was undignified, unedifying."

In what Morgan described as a "big, long rant," Jones -- the man who started the White House petition to deport Morgan -- shouted questions about gun control legislation, gave premonitions of a 1776-like rebellion, and pronounced conspiracy theories -- including his belief that 9/11 was an inside job -- while Morgan tried calmly and in vain to conduct a civil interview.

"Sometimes it's better to let somebody have the rope they need to tie themselves in knots," Morgan told POLITICO, noting that he had been far more vocal and more passionate in previous interviews with gun advocates. According to Morgan, Jones continued ranting straight through the commercial break that divided the two-segment interview.

Morgan said he anticipated such a performance: "I knew what we were going to be getting into with him," he said. "I know about his background and his reputation, so I know he's kind of shock jock."

But Jones is also influential among conservatives, Morgan said, which is why he had him on CNN.

"He said last night that his show now airs in 140 networks, he has a huge online presence -- every day his message gets sent out to millions of Americans," Morgan said. "Through vitriol and rhetoric he is able to spur heavy gun sales and ammunition sales. He works off of fear."

Jones is the host of The Alex Jones Show, baed in Austin, Tex., and the creator of InfoWars.com and PrisonPlanet.com, two websites that promote a worldview the Southern Poverty Law Center described as being "governed by logic-leaping deductions and heedless pronouncements."

But Jones has made a success of those websites, of his show, and -- most recently -- of the petition to deport Morgan, which has over 100,000 signatures. Last night, White House spokesman Jay Carney issued a response to the petition, citing "the freedom of expression" as "a bedrock principle in our democracy"

"He is clearly a smart guy under the craziness," Morgan said. "Look, you could tell from the way he ranted that he's not a stupid man. But that makes him more dangerous. There will be lots of people who follow him avidly who are not so intelligent, who believe everything he says."

Morgan added that the petition to deport him was "not an insignificant issue."

"There is a pattern of British people who espouse peace or want more peace being gagged in this country," he said, citing John Lennon and Charlie Chaplin. But Morgan said that Carney's nod to the First Amendment was promising.

"They were making the point I've been making: You can hardly accuse me of attacking the Second Amendment by attacking the First Amendment," he said. "I am merely representing my opinion, and that is protected."

Though the media seems to have all but forgotten the gun control debate, and though chances for gun control legislation are starting to look dim, Morgan vowed to continue addressing the issue until government takes action.

"After every shooting, America goes back to normal. The media come off the story, nothing gets done, the pressure on politicians dissipates," he said. "But you and I both know there's going to be another shooting in months, or even weeks. My intent is simply to keep this issue boiling along until the politicians act on it."

"I think America is getting diluted to the horror of these things: it's become too casual, too widespread, too indiscriminate, and incredibly dangerous," he said. "Something has to be done."

In my haste to post in another section I overlooked this thread. Glad to see someone else took notice, although the media itself certainly took notice. As always they are trying to put the usual spin on it. I find it interesting that he chose to label Alex Jones a fearmongerer, considering the Liberal agenda of security over liberty.

The modern definition of ‘racist’ is someone who’s winning an argument with a liberal.

I agree with Alex Jones, in context, on gun control.I feel guns should NOT be taken away like some want. I do support background checks and closing certain loopholes, but taking them away? No.

I DO NOT like Piers Morgan AT ALL. But I will say, Jones is not a stupid man. And I know his hatred for Morgan runs deep, but he had a platform here to really "win" this debate, and I think no matter how valid some of his points were, the treatment of Morgan, and the complete disregard for letting him speak at all, trumped everything else. It's too bad... I really wish he wasn't the "voice" for gun owner advocacy, but then again, I bet Morgan planned and wanted this to happen the way it did. Jones had me for like 40 second, and I was rooting for him, then like a light switch, he went ballistic.

They are both in drastic need of ratings. Controversy sells. What better way for the anti guns people to make their point but to bring on someone who is so over the top, they do more to hurt the cause. I also am with Alex Jones in his thinking, but he is just way too extreme, and just comes off like a nutjob. What better way to set off a explosive guy, than to just remain totally calm, and focused? I do not like Piers, but who ended up looking irrational, and who ended up looking more in control, which is what he wanted to show. The idea gun advocates can not even control themselves.

That said, the point still remains, guns do not kill, people do. The more common thread is not assault weapons that were available, it was the lack of family intervention with young males like these, who probably had a long history at home of not being to balanced. I'm amazed the focus is not on those things, plus a pattern of being a little socially a loner, obsessions with video games, other patterns of what things they were into. How did they grow up, what was their temperament, were they cruel to animals?

The White House has formally responded to the Piers Morgan petition (interesting timing).

The rational is that Morgan is protected by the first amendment. However,regardless of whether he should justifiably be deported or not, this argument is not valid since Morgan is a foreigner and is not protected by our constitution.

Just another example of the Obama Administration skewing the law for political gain.

“I don’t care what the justification is that you’re allowed in this country to own a semi-automatic weapon – much less a handgun. But what do you need a semi-automatic weapon for? The only reason I think you’d need it is, Piers, challenge Alex Jones to a boxing match, show up with a semi-automatic that you got legally and pop him.”

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